In October 2023, Oterra, the world’s leading supplier of natural colors for food and beverage, announced the immediate launch of its groundbreaking Simply Brown range.

Expertly crafted from apples, the new range heralds a new era in Oterra's clean label caramel replacement solutions as part of our flagship FruitMax coloring food range.

While caramel has long been a food coloring staple, changing consumer preferences show the need for clean brown replacements. A recent study showed over 25% of consumers actively avoid foods with additives due to healthier eating, while 56% will pay more for products bearing a ’natural’ label.

Oterra’s Simply Brown range, which includes four products, a powder, and liquid for human consumption, and two pet products, answers this demand by utilizing a gentle cooking process that results in rich, stable natural brown shades without the unwanted caramelization.

Food and Beverage manufacturers who utilize Oterra’s Simply Brown range meet clean label requirements by being able to list the colors on packaging as ‘Apple concentrate’ in the EU or ‘Fruit juice (color)’ in the US.

In contrast to certain caramel replacements, such as malt, Simply Brown is also gluten-free, and devoid of 4-MEI and sulfites, making it an even more attractive alternative for health-conscious consumers.

The range is ideally suited for bakery, cereal, snack, and savory applications, given its exceptional stability, even in high pH and high-temperature environments. Furthermore, it is perfect for use in dairy applications, as it delivers that classic chocolate milkshake appearance without interfering with other proteins and minerals in the mixture.